Kevin Landel takes the top tech job at a credit union that was recently hit twice by much-publicized Distributed Denial of Service attacks that took down its website, followed by the resignation of CEO Ken Burns earlier this month. Burns said the split was amicable.

Anthony Vitale had been the credit union’s vice president of information technology. Vitale left Patelco to pursue other opportunities and his departure also was not related to the DDoS attacks, said Alison Jones, Patelco’s vice president of marketing.

“Mr. Landel was recruited prior to the DDoS situation and his start date was delayed due to his desire to fulfill commitments with his previous employer,” Jones told Credit Union Times on Thursday night. “We continue to work with a leading DDoS mitigation firm and have successfully taken steps to ensure the security of our systems and safety of our members’ accounts and information.

Landel is a 30-year media technology veteran who most recently was senior vice president of information services at the $1.7 billion, 120,800-member California Coast Credit Union in San Diego.

“I am delighted to be starting with Patelco and returning to the Bay Area,” Landel said in the credit union’s announcement earlier Thursday. “The credit union is a good fit for me and I am looking forward to meeting the challenges and expanding the opportunities that will help Patelco meet our members’ needs”

Landel has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from UC-Berkeley and a master’s degree from the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his new employer said.

His career has included work at the San Diego Supercomputer Center and executive roles at technology startups, as well as helping California Coast CU complete a series of mergers and enhancements to its online banking and mobile services, Patelco said.

He also is an avid surfer and Landel said he will miss the warm waters of San Diego, but “I’m excited about revisiting my roots, and the waves, in Santa Cruz” where he has family, Patelco said in its announcement.